This invention relates to toilet equipment, more specifically to a chamber pot or potty, especially a potty for use by a young child. Numerous terms may be used to designate such portable containers for the reception of waste matter, specifically urine and stools, eliminated by humans, but for convenience the term “potty” will be used herein to refer to this general class of portable toilet bowl, since this term is most commonly used in the context of infant toilet training and management, where this invention has particular application.
A simple standard potty consists of a bowl supported in a stable configuration, for example on a broad flat base, or by a dependent surrounding skirt which has a level lower edge forming a more or less continuous support around the bowl, which is contained within the skirt. For use by a child, the upper rim of the bowl may be made broad to serve as a seat. After a person has used the potty, it needs first to be carefully carried to a disposal point, such as a conventional flushable toilet (water closet). The toilet lid and seat are then lifted if they are not already raised, and the contents of the potty are tipped into the toilet bowl, which is then flushed to carry away the waste. Care must be taken to avoid spillage, and even so the fluid contents of the potty are likely to run over the seat and wet the outside, requiring such further hygienic rinsing and washing as may be necessary; but completely hygienic handling at all times cannot be assured. Further, young children are curious about their bodily waste and have little or no sense of hygiene and commonly have their fingers in contact with the outside surfaces of the potty, and in their mouths, according to their age or mental capacity.
While parents and carers know the importance of hygiene, it is no easy task to ensure optimum cleanliness. The present invention has for an object to provide a potty in which that task is made easier.